PUNCH learnt that a woman corporal was taking Ede, whose name appeared
as the first defendant on the charge sheet, and the five others to court
when the incident happened.

The officer was not assisted in chasing the fleeing suspect when she called for help from passersby.

When the other five suspects were subsequently arraigned before the
court a few hours later, she narrated the incident to the presiding
magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, who enquired about the whereabouts of Ede,
whose name appeared on the charge sheet as the first defendant.

"The car was moving when he (Ede) jumped from the window and escaped
with the handcuffs in his hands. I was shouting for help, but people did
not respond. I decided to let him go so that the five others would not
escape as well. We were almost at the court when he jumped down. I can’t
explain how he managed to escape,” she said.

The remaining five suspects were arraigned on three counts bordering on
vandalism and stealing by a police prosecutor, Inspector R.A. Odigie.

The rest accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were
admitted to bail by Owolabi, in the sum of N300,000 each with two
sureties each in like sum.